NFC Notes: Taysom Hill, Bryce Young, Buccaneers, Panthers, Saints

Buccaneers

Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles said they will likely make a decision on the quarterback competition between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask at some point during training camp. 

“Some time during camp or right after there will be a decision made,” Bowles said, via Fred Goodall of the Associated Press. “It’s still a competition right now. We’re not going to award (anybody) in shorts and T-shirts,” Bowles added. “In any competition, there’s waiting involved. You have to see who wins.”

Trask is grateful for his time alongside Tom Brady, Blaine Gabbert, and Ryan Griffin.

“Tom is just a pro through and through, so that was such a blessing for me to come into a quarterback room filled with him, Blaine, and Ryan (Griffin),” said Trask. “They had all the experience in the world, so just to come into that room and just try to soak up as much knowledge while I was in there, that is a priceless experience for me.”

Mayfield said he feels “comfortable” with where he’s at in Tampa Bay’s system and has a responsibility of making sure everyone is on the same page. 

“I feel comfortable with where I’m at right now. Now, it’s about making sure that my comfortability resonates with everyone else,” said Mayfield. “The quarterback’s job is to make sure everybody gets on the same page and make sure we breathe that confidence throughout the whole team. I feel good with where I am at right now, but there is obviously always room to improve.”

Panthers

Panthers rookie QB Bryce Young is leaving the direction of how the team wants him to develop his body up to the strength and conditioning group.

“For me, I trust the strength and conditioning staff here,” Young said, via Panthers Wire. “We have an amazing strength staff that I’ve had the pleasure to work with and will continue to work with throughout the offseason. They do a great job here with not just me, but everybody on the team. So, they’re sending out plans, they’re sending out workouts and they have a plan for me just like they have a plan for everyone. I’m gonna follow their direction.”

Young added that he was unsure of whether or not he plans to add size this offseason.

“Right now, we’re finishing out this week, we’re doin’ the stuff we have here and they’ll send out the stuff for next week,” he replied. “I haven’t looked at it yet. So, whatever they have, I guess we’ll see.”

Saints

Saints TE Taysom Hill said there’s been a lot of dialogue with the coaching staff about how they plan on using him in 2023

“It’s been fun. We have conversations and stuff with the coaches, but I’m kind of like I show up and try to be ready for whatever it is. But it’s good. I think we’re trying to find this happy medium and happy balance of like, hey, let’s be realistic with what we’re going to ask you do to this season and make sure that you’re getting the time and the reps on those things,” said Hill, via John DeShazier of the team’s site. “I thought the last three days has been really great from that standpoint. That communication between me and the staff and what that is has been really good as well.”

Hill said they are studying how he was used last season in order to determine where he is most efficient. 

“I think this year is the first time that we’ve been able to go back and we’ve looked at 17 games and we looked at rep count, where that was and what I was being asked to do,” Hill said. “And so now we can take, hey, this is like the last 17 games and where your rep count was, where you lined up. And now we can tailor that to what they’re asking me to do on the practice field. The hope is that we start to expand that. And so as a starting point, I think that’s what we’ve done the last few days. And we’ll continue to have these conversations and push the envelope of, hey, maybe we do this or maybe we put you in this position. I think that’s kind of where we’re at right now.”

Saints new QB Derek Carr praised Hill’s passing ability. 

“You throw him a pass and he throws it back just as good,” Carr said. “It’s pretty interesting. He’s got a cannon arm, he can run routes, and he’s tough. All those things. You can see why he’s been such a productive football player. I can check the ball down because we have guys that still could get the first down. We still have guys that can move the sticks. You’ve got a guy like Taysom, you get the ball to him and he’s faster than my truck. He runs through and he runs over a couple of guys and he gets the first down. You watch it on tape and it happens over and over and over again.”